7 Shortcuts to a Better Bowl of Soup

Think you have to stand behind the stove for hours to create a great soup? Well, you don't!

Heat up some items from your pantry, leftovers in the fridge, or even cut-up veggies, maybe whirl them with your hand blender, and you can whip up something incredibly tasty in the time it takes to change your clothes and set the table. Here's the most important part to quick and delicious soup: Taste carefully and add salt and pepper to your liking. Chances are if it tastes bland, it just needs another dash of salt.

Try...

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Black Bean Tortilla Soup
Leftover rotisserie chicken? Check. Frozen corn? Check? Canned beans? Check. Simmer them in chicken broth (see our top picks for the store-bought variety), squeeze in some lemon or lime juice, sprinkle with crushed corn chips and you have dinner. Stir in a teaspoon or two of taco seasoning, if you want.

Creamy Vegetable Soup
Vichyssoise sounds very fancy but, trust us, it's not. It's just potatoes and leeks simmered in water, pureed, and chilled. You can use just about any vegetables, skip the cooling part, and serve up a rich "can't-believe-it-isn't-cream" soup. Use broccoli with a spud, butternut squash and an onion with maybe an apple thrown in, or a mélange of all the assorted veggies in your crisper, including the ones that you were going to toss. Simmer in just enough salted water to barely cover, until soft and tender, and use an immersion hand blender to whiz everything right in the pot.

Hearty White Bean Potage
Empty one or more cans of white bean soup into a pot and blend with your stick blender. Add another can or so of whole beans, enough salted water or broth to thin out the mixture to a soup-spoonable consistency and you have your soup base. Embellish with a can of stewed tomatoes, some fresh or dried herbs. If you have any ham in the house, bite-sized chunks or slivers make a nice smoky addition. Also tasty: round of hot dogs.

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Bowl o' Tomato-Quinoa
Sure ,you could just microwave canned tomato soup and serve it in a mug without getting any complaints. But why not kick it up a notch by topping your Campbell's with a healthy dollop of protein-rich quinoa (precooked, of course)? Brown rice or any whole grain would taste just as good!

Clam Chowder
Precut onions, celery, and carrots, canned clams, bottled clam juice, and cooked potatoes can simmer together into a great chowder base while you check the mail, catch up on the kids' assignments, and perhaps throw together a salad. If you like your's New England-style, add a few dollops of cream and continue simmering until it's thickened. Prefer zesty Manhattan chowder? Use a can of seasoned stewed tomatoes in your original brew.

Eggdrop Soup
Beat a few eggs and gradually drizzle them into simmering broth and cook until set. It's that easy. "Beef it up" with shredded chicken, strips of ham, frozen peas, or even a healthy dollop of leftover fried rice! For a Greek-style version, simmer strips of escarole or another green in broth before stirring in the beaten egg and squeeze in a little lemon juice.

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Minestrone in Minutes
Scoop up as many precut vegetables as you can, either all raw or all cooked and simmer together — if you're starting with raw ingredients, you'll need to cook (in lightly salted water or broth of any kind) until they're tender. Think beyond onions, carrots, and celery and include cabbage, peas, garbanzo beans, zucchini…really there's no formula! If you have leftover pasta or rice, toss it right in during the last few minutes. After cooking, blitz your soup with shredded Parmesan cheese, freshly ground pepper, and lemon zest.

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